The Portland daily press., 1887-06-21
A few days later bill running something
ike this was handed to the Grasshopper's


/
Total. 500
Caulktight quickly gained the reputation
VL owning one OF the handsomest yachts In
tne cubs fleet, and the number Of people
VINO claimed him as friend grew so rapidly
tnat ne found 1t difficult TO recognize their
had almost repented Of having sunk so much
OF MS little fortune In boat but when he
pegan 20 reap his reward in popularity, he
forget MS finances and started In TO have
soou time. No grass was allowed to grow
on the Grasshopper's bottom She was kept
moving all the time, and her cabin was al
ways occupied BY dozen or more Of her
owner alleged friends. They were not long
IN teaching him how they liked TO be enter
sained atn ana when they sat at his table, they
a.o anu drank such things as kings are sup
posed 10 subsist on. No regatta OF cruise oc-
CURED without the Grasshopper as a starter
ana although she was not as fast as Caulk-
tlgnt nad expected. she did have one walk
over and won pewter mug
When the season closed In northern waters
cruise along the Southern coast and to Ber-
muda was arranged. Caulktight had a royal
good time, and all went well with him until
ne nnally decided to lay the Grasshopper up
lor season. Then 1t was that the bills be-
gan 70 pour in, and then it was that he dis
covered that he was poorer by good deal
yard. '"'
According to custom. his steward and
the disbursements In their respective de-
PaIlments, and he was profoundly ignorant
OF tne extent Of his Indebtedness until his
cIealtors began to clamor for their money.
n n nssle nguring convinced him that during
the seven months the Grasshopper had been
IN commission she had cost him an average Of
SoO gay, or total of $4,000, to provide
tne cabin table with food, wine, liquor and
cei!sars, e!ssd, and an average of 81 day each, or
HOoVU fbo lor sne seasonto furnish his crew with
his Doat mad been on dry dock ten times
AT cost OF $50 each time had required $500
worth OF new rigging, $500 worth of new
salis san anu slOOO worth Of general repairs, and
&c aaIss pen .oWed OH shoals, up rivers and out
~ Ti,S eallns s often enough to give excuse for a
piii Tor $1,000 for towage. Among the small
pllls were one for laundry work OF $500
another Tor extra crew during race Of $500,
sIudsH anu = los Oh otners, which were grouped as
sunuries and aggregated $1,000.
Caulktight, all unmindful Of his bank ac-
count, paid the bills as they came In, until
MS FUNDS were exhausted, and then set about
lItylng 70 sell his yacht to satisfy the rest of
.ne demands; lie had expected, Of course,
10 get at least as much as he gave for the
schooner but after waiting month or so
Ior satisfactory bid, he was only too glad
70 get Sl3.500, the amount left after a broker
naQ n taken a 10 per cent. commission out Of
{Shio,Oo, ine selling price. This, too. went to
the creditors, and Caulktight, deserted by
MS fair.weather friends, found himself in
the plight which the second advertisement
suggests.
In summing up Caulktight had fouud that
the Grasshopper had cost S52, 800 and that
ne naa spent SO $50 In running her for a
season. After disposing Of her and defray-
ing his expenses ashore, he was only one
steP removed from the poor-house. While
yacntSmen may not remember the un-
fortunate hero Of this tale, they will.
nevertneiess, recognize the figures In
MS expense accounts as pretty ac-
curate, and some Of them will wonder how
ne got out Of 1t SO cheaply. The cost OF run
nlng yacht varies. OF course, according to
the propensity of the owner for entertaining.
tne size OF the vessel, and whether she Is
used ior racing or cruising, or both A sloop
~ ieet long which on ordinary occasions
could De easily handled by three men. could
be well run for season Of six months for
$780,, while schooner Of the size Of the
GraSshopper would, il the owner was in
ccllned to entertain much, cost fully $4,000
Tor the same length Of time. The largest
.ta Items OF expense on big racing sloops like
the Atlantic and Priscilla, are for wages of
crew. They carry from thirty to forty men
before the mast, and the usual wages are $50
q month. Boats OF this class have to 20 on
dry docks from six TO eight times each sea-
son, to have their bottoms cleaned and
Smsesotned, 81 s,n at an average expense each time
Most yachts in use around New York are
ntted with racing rigs, which are never
changed. When deep water cruise is con-
tempiated. 1t Is necessary, In most instances,
70 reduce the sizes Of spars and sails, and
TINS entails considerable outlay. For the
ocean race the COronet and Dauntless were
fitted with cruising rigs and required many
other changes. 1t is said that Caldwell III.
Colt expended $4,000 in preparing the latter
yacht Tor the race, and that r. I. Bush spent
$4,000 on the Coronet.